Optical fiber connectors are an essential part of practically all optical fiber communication systems. For instance, such connectors are used to join segments of fiber into longer lengths, to connect fiber to active devices such as radiation sources, detectors and repeaters, and to connect fiber to passive devices such as switches and attenuators. The principal function of an optical fiber connector is to optically couple a fiber with a mating device (e.g., another fiber, an active device or a passive device). This is achieved by holding the end of the fiber in a ferrule such that the core of the fiber is axially aligned with the optical pathway of the mating device.
To facilitate an effective optical coupling, the end face of the ferrule is typically polished. Preparing a polished ferrule is a sophisticated process. It requires cleaving the fibers, terminating them in a ferrule (typically by using an epoxy), and polishing the ferrule to exacting tolerances. Therefore, such a process is usually performed in a controlled setting with precision equipment by skilled personnel. Frequently, however, connectors must be terminated in the field where such facilities and personnel are not available. Under these conditions, it is desirable to omit the step of the polishing the ferrule by instead terminating the fiber in a connector which has a fiber stub already terminated in a polished ferrule. Because the ferrule is already polished in a fiber-stub, field-installable connector, field installation requires only optically coupling the fiber to the fiber stub. This is often done with using a refractive index matched gel to improve optical coupling therebetween.
Although field-installable connectors eliminate the need to polish the ferrule in the field, terminating the fiber to the connector can nevertheless be difficult in the field, where conditions often require the installer to perform this operation without a workbench and using handheld tools. Indeed, the operation is often performed while standing. The process is complicated by the need to use different tools. For example, the fiber would be cleaved with a cleaver, the connector actuated with another tool resembling pliers, and then crimped with a crimper.
Therefore, an approach is needed for simplifying field terminations, allowing a user to terminate the fiber while standing and using a minimal number of hand-held tools. The present invention fulfills this need among others.